The need to control the temperature of a pump has long been known in the art, and has traditionally been solved by the addition of a cooling jacket around the pump. Cooling jackets come in a variety of designs, but most consist of a channel within the pump housing that completely encircles the motor in all directions. Such cooling jackets may circulate a portion of the fluid being pumped or a separate cooling fluid around the pump to maintain the pump's optimum operating temperature.
Cooling jackets are bulky and expensive and it can be difficult if not impossible to retrofit an existing pump housing with a cooling jacket if it was not included in the original design.
Certain air pump housings have a tendency to accumulate water vapor which then pools in concave portions within the housing and may freeze in cooler climates. If too much water accumulates and freezes it can impair the movement of pump parts, particularly the impeller. When the movement of the impeller is impaired the check engine light will be activated or it may result in burnout of the motor. Most cooling jackets are designed to facilitate the cooling of the pump and are located where the pump is more likely to overheat. Few, if any, cooling jackets are appropriately structured to also provide for the warming of key elements of the pump to encourage freedom of movement of the parts and quickly bring the pump to an optimum operating temperature.
The present invention overcomes these obstacles and provides for a temperature control device for an air pump that is inexpensive, small, easily fitted to an existing pump without reengineering the pump housing, and appropriately designed to heat key elements within the pump to quickly bring the pump to the optimum operating temperature.